His Majesty The King has been pleased to donate to the Royal
Corps of Musicians one Premier Bass and six snare drums and a set of string
instruments.

Five musicians are
under instruction to play as the Drum and Bugle Corps on ceremonial occasions
when the Royal Corps of Musicians are on ceremonial parade, and they will also
come together as a Classical String Ensemble on Court Occasions.

It is the
intention of the Royal Corps of Musicians eventually to require that every
musician learns an orchestral instrument in addition to a brass instrument so
that they may perform, when necessary, as a chamber orchestra.

So far, the
Court Musicians, which is their temporary designation, consist of two
violinists Mausia and Kefu, a Bass violinist Langilangi, Cellist Fusimalohi,
and Viola player Fifita.

13 May, 2011. While on routine patrol His Majesty's Patrol Boat SAVEA was attracted to a distress signal south of Ono-i-lau and to which it immediately responded and the Navy reports that there was, thankfully, no loss of life.

The rescued passenger has been brought to Nuku'alofa where arrangements have been made for his accommodation by the Royal Household Office in deference to his rank. The King, who is travelling in Central Europe, has been fully informed of events by the Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal

28 March 2011 His
Majesty The King has today been pleased to elevate Ambassador Sonatane
Tu'akinamolahi Taumoepeau-Tupou to the Life Peerage with the Noble title of
Lord Taumoepeau-Tupou of Toula and Kotu.

Lord
Taumoepeau-Tupou presently serves as the Permanent Representative to the United
Nations with concurrent accreditation as Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary to the United States of America, Chile, Cuba, Mexico, and
Venezuela, and High Commissioner to Canada.

His
Lordship previously held this post of Permanent Representative to the UN and
Ambassador to the United States of America, from 1999 to 2004 when he was
recalled to take up the ministerial appointment of Minister for Foreign Affairs.
He was also appointed Acting Minister for Defence and Acting Governor of Vava'u
in 2005.

Lord
Taumoepeau-Tupou was appointed Secretary for Foreign Affairs in 1979. He served
as High Commissioner to the Court of St James's in 1983, with concurrent
accreditation as Ambassador, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Belgium, Denmark,
France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, the then Soviet Union; the
United States of America and the European Commission. He returned to the
Foreign Ministry in 1986 and served as Secretary for Foreign Affairs until his
posting to set up the UN Mission in New York in 1999.

He
joined the Civil Service in 1969 as an Assistant Secretary at the Prime
Minister's Office.